Unfortunately, the same problems that plague adjuncts nationwide are also present at ACC:
-carefully written and enforced caps on number of hours adjuncts can teach
-weak Money Purchase Plan for retirement
-no option to contribute to Social Security or TRS state sponsored teachers' retirement plan, so you must take care and be sure to be funding a retirement plan on your own (IRA, Roth IRA, etc.)
-while ACC pays a competitive rate for adjuncts, it's not enough to meet the cost of living in Austin, Texas. Unless you work other jobs, you cannot live on this income and are not allowed to work up into a better position.
-Career development outside ACC is difficult: you have no access to the library services or research journals between semesters, so publications/research work must be done while teaching and you have no office space of your own, so you must keep all research at home.
-No individual offices to meet with students or grade student work; it's difficult to work in the shared spaces allotted. I've had to go to the Learning Lab as if I were a student just so I could grade in peace and with a modicum of privacy. I've gone into the hallway to speak with students, and have been unable to give them the right attention or privacy in the hallway for their coursework needs.
-Little motivation to improve one's teaching skills.
